Facilitators are the guide for the implementation of the learning programme. They need to capture the audience profile, either individually and as a group, and have the confidence to adapt and adjust the activities, while keeping focus on the specific objectives of the activities, the sessions and the overall FRIEND Learning Programme.
The following session plans allows for facilitators to have a comprehensive pathway on the implementation of each of the sessions, but mostly on the takeaways that are relevant in each one and of some challenging situations that need to be considered. The identified situations are not a closed list, but a reminder of the activation of personal and social skills. Facilitators are to apply their knowledge on sensitive situations and experience/ expertise in dealing with adults to overcome it. The identification of challenging situations serve more as a sign of the needed preparation for the activities.
Session nr. | 1 | |||
Topic of the session | Rediscovering friendship: the value of a timeless connection | |||
Timing | Activity | Takeaway | Challenging situations to consider | |
20 min | The ball of yearn exercise | 1. Visual and tangible representation of connection. 2. Break the ice and encourage active and fair participation. 3. Facilitate gentle self-disclosure. | – Some older participants may have limited mobility, dexterity, or vision difficulties that make throwing or catching difficult or stressful. – Someone can be shy and have some difficulties during self-introductions. | |
15 min | A journey on the value of friendship | 1.Frienship is a journey guided by value 2. Self-doubt and inner fear are normal but can be overcome 3. Avoidance lead to disconnection from what we desire. | – Difficulty at understanding the metaphor | |
25 min | Postcard Exercise | 1. Reflecting your relational desires and needs through images. 2. Encourage active listening, common ground and differences within the group |
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Session nr. | 2 | |||
Topic of the session | Pieces of a relational mosaic: the importance of variety in friendship | |||
Timing | Activity | Takeaway | Challenging situations to consider | |
10 min | My little nice thing | 1.Happiness can be found in small daily moment 2.Promote a sense of gratitude and emotional resilience | – Someone can struggle in finding a positive moment | |
15 min | The home exercise – Sharing the object | 1.Friendship is personal and symbolic 2. Stimulate storytelling and create connection 3. Choosing an object brought by someone else encourages curiosity, respect, and empathy | – Someone may be uncomfortable that other people touch a personal object that has meaning to them | |
10 min | The variety in friendship – Theory | |||
35 min | The friend you don’t expect | 1.Friendship comes in many different forms; not all have to be deep or long-standing 2. Reconsider their assumptions and openness toward others. 3. Each relationship brings something unique and different people can meet different emotional or social needs. | – Some participants can express discomfort and rigid opinion, having resistance in new prospective – Participants can feel they are judged by the other participant | |
Session nr. | 3 | |||
Topic of the session | Friendship and self-esteem: discovering our qualities | |||
Timing | Activity | Takeaway | Challenging situations to consider | |
30 min | Hidden qualities | 1. Increased self-awareness through the comparison of self-perceived qualities with those noticed by others, gaining insight into how they see themselves vs. how they are seen 2. Discovering unexpected qualities named by others can lead to personal growth and curiosity 3. Reading affirming words written by others fosters a sense of being appreciated, seen, and valued | – Some may feel discomfort at receiving feedback | |
10 min | The importance of self – esteem in friendship – Theory | |||
20 min | Quality in motion | 1. Reinforce a positive quality 2. Setting a personal focus for how they want to feel or act in friendships and in life, enhancing their ability to reflect and act with intention. | – Some participant can have difficulties in movement | |
Session nr. | 4 | |||
Topic of the session | A convoy of relationships: the people who accompany us on life’s journey | |||
Timing | Activity | Takeaway | Challenging situations to consider | |
10 min | Interaction diary | 1.Encourages mindful awareness of social interactions and self-appreciation | -Some might feel they didn’t have “enough” interactions during the weeks, or they have none. | |
10 min | Convoy of relationship – theory | |||
20 min | Create your own convoy | 1.Promotes clarity and acceptance about one’s current social network, visually mapping their relationships into the three circles, participants gain a better understanding of who is close, who is less present, and how their social world has changed or can evolve. 2.It fosters both gratitude and self-awareness without judgment. | – If the convoy feels “empty” or highlights recent losses or distance in relationships, it may stir feelings of loneliness or grief. | |
15 min | Towards conscious relationships: define your goals | 1. Encourages intentionality in building or deepening relationships. | Some may lack confidence or clarity on how to improve a relationship or feel hesitant about initiating change. | |
Session nr. | 5 | |||
Topic of the session | Establishing new contacts and strengthening existing ones | |||
Timing | Activity | Takeaway | Challenging situations to consider | |
15 min | Places for new connections | 1. Friendship can begin in many everyday contexts 2. Rather than waiting for friendships to happen, participants are invited to envision and plan how to create them, restoring a sense of agency. | – Some participants might feel pessimistic about their chances of meeting new people, especially if they face barriers like mobility issues, anxiety, or past negative experiences. | |
10 min | Making new contacts | 1. Recognize their own social skills and experiences, such as curiosity, openness, or shared activities, that have already helped them build meaningful connections. | – Talking about past friendships might bring up nostalgia or grief for relationships that have changed or ended. | |
15 min | You start! | 1. Exploring conversation openers, helping them feel more prepared and confident in real-life situations. | – Some might worry about sounding awkward or being rejected | |
5 min | Strengthening existing friendship relations – Theory | |||
15 min | Friendship in action | 1. Even simple, intentional actions can nurture and strengthen relationships, you don’t need big gestures to have meaningful impact. 2. Encourages participants to move from reflection to action, reinforcing a sense of agency in their social life. | – Some participants may have difficulty thinking of a relationship to strengthen. This may trigger feelings of isolation or discouragement, especially in those with fewer social connections. | |
Session nr. | 6 | |||
Topic of the session | Assertiveness: the art of saying no and setting functional boundaries in relationships | |||
Timing | Activity | Takeaway | Challenging situations to consider | |
10 min | Action taken | 1. Revisiting the action reinforces that building relationships is a process, and reflecting on what worked (or didn’t) is key to learning and adapting. | – Some participants may feel discouraged or uncomfortable if the action didn’t go well | |
5 min | Assertiveness – theory | |||
15 min | Reflecting on relational styles: advantages and disadvantages
| 1. Helps participants recognize their own communication patterns and reflect on how these affect their friendships and social connections. 2.Learning to be assertive empowers participants to express their needs more clearly and build mutually respectful relationships, without withdrawing or being overbearing. | – Some participants may not recognize their own communication style or may become defensive if they identify in both end of the continuum | |
5 min | The art of setting boundaries – Theory | |||
20 min | Draw your boundaries | 1. Recognizing and expressing personal limits helps maintain respectful and balanced relationships 2. Reflect on their habitual style of setting boundaries | – Some participants may struggle to visualize or express their boundaries. | |
15 min | What would you do if…?
| 1. Practicing assertive responses in a safe and group setting builds confidence and helps participants feel more empowered in their daily interactions. | – Some participants can be in conflict in their own group about how to respond to the situation | |
Session nr. | 7 | |||
Topic of the session | Expressing one’s needs and offering support to our friends | |||
Timing | Activity | Takeaway | Challenging situations to consider | |
15 min | Communicating our needs | 1. Being able to express needs and ask for support is not a weakness, but a strength that strengthens trust and connection in relationships | – Some participants may feel embarrassed or vulnerable sharing situations where they needed help | |
15 min | Being There for Others in Challenging Moments | 1. Supporting others through listening and presence strengthens bonds and brings meaning to our friendships | – Some participants could not recall the last time they had this type of interaction | |
15 min | Reflecting on empathy | 1. Empathy helps us connect on a deeper level; it allows us to be present with others in their joy or pain | – Since there is a group discussion the difficulty could arise from conflicting opinions | |
20 min | Towards new routes | – Looking back helps us recognise how far we’ve come: friendship is a journey shaped by our values, experiences, and openness to growth | – Someone might have nothing to say about the sessions or that they didn’t learn anything or that they didn’t change much | |
GA no:
2023-1-NL01-KA220-000156207
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